I didn't sleep well last night, which is probably contributing to some of this, but things just aren't working. It's not JUDDD. It's me. I can't stick to my calories and I'm in a vicious cycle. I lose faith, get discouraged, get back on track, do well for a minute, lose faith, and so on ... terrible sentence structure lol. Taking a break is not going to help, but put me further behind and I'm tired of not getting any lower than this.

I hate doing a set WOE, like LC, because I feel like I can't sustain it, but I guess it might be the only way for me to actually lose. Thinking of going back to it, because I don't have the willpower to eat what I want EOD.

__________________

"Never give up on a dream just because of the length of time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway."

As long as you keep posting here to keep a toe in the water then changing things up with your WOE seems eminently sensible. We'd miss you if you didn't post.

Maybe practising eating within restrictive guidelines with LC will eventually transfer as a skill for your EOD UDs and you might, with time, find the prospect of those more appealing/manageable?

Random observation. DH isn't vain but he does enjoy being one of the small normal weight/slim people in his age-group and amongst his professional peers. The upside of this is that he doesn't get grumpy/mardy about our WOE. And that includes the realisation that we rarely eat a traditional meal these days. We tend towards soup and a salad (also includes dishes like tapenade/ratatouille) with a protein or a selection of tapas size items on UDs. He's fine with this pattern of eating - it would be much harder to manage if he were not on board with it. I think downsizing from serving on dinner plates to thinking of several tapas-sized items has been tremendously helpful to us in managing how much we eat without thinking about it too much.

__________________
Motto: SINS - Simple Is the New Sustainable

July 2015 A DXA scan shows very low muscle mass (sarcopenia). I currently have a lot of physiotherapy. I may miss questions that people ask me or personals. Apologies if I do, it's not intentional.

Thanks, SS, and Handbells.I think the reason JUDDD appealed to me so much was because I *could* eat what I wanted, and eat a lot EOD. Theoretically, that is. It did work for a while, but it's not been working almost as long as it did work lol. I feel like I don't have the discipline to do more than this, as evidenced by the 10+ years I spent at 80 lbs overweight...now, just 50 lol. Please, please let me find the strength to continue to lose weight, and get to a normal weight.

I am going to cut out the white stuff (sugar, flour, bread) for as long as possible.

__________________

"Never give up on a dream just because of the length of time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway."

I didn't sleep well last night, which is probably contributing to some of this, but things just aren't working. It's not JUDDD. It's me. I can't stick to my calories and I'm in a vicious cycle. I lose faith, get discouraged, get back on track, do well for a minute, lose faith, and so on ... terrible sentence structure lol. Taking a break is not going to help, but put me further behind and I'm tired of not getting any lower than this.

I hate doing a set WOE, like LC, because I feel like I can't sustain it, but I guess it might be the only way for me to actually lose. Thinking of going back to it, because I don't have the willpower to eat what I want EOD.

to you. I am going through this right now as I am back in WLM to take care of the Christmas gain but not making any progress due to my eat anything I want UD's. I would probably do best if I tried Atkins 72 on UD's. I have tried but really need to clean out the house of bad foods so I am not tempted.

Cindy you are just having a little down time.
Winter time blues bites alot of people.
Maybe that's what you have going?
You are so encouraging. Loving. Caring.
I can't imagine coming here and u not be here...I'm being selfish
Chin up Cindy we ain't letting you go
As our Dawn is in the give up white foods. I'll do that with you!!
Im in for two weeks with you both! Where do I sign

I know it is not the easiest thing to address when you are feeling in a bad mental place, but I was amazed when I first went low-carb at how my mental situation changed. What I had thought for some many years were emotional or mental difficulties, had a lot to do with how the foods I was eating were setting me up to feel.

Of course, there is that vicious cycle to overcome, but if you can get past the readjustment, I do think that going back to low-carb will help you.

Have you thought about doing a meat only, or meat and eggs plan for a short time to jump start you? Or a fat-fast? Those seem like the quickest way to get rid of sugar cravings/stabilize blood sugar/get into ketosis.

And if you could take away any PHYSICAL/diet reasons for feeling discouraged, maybe the other ones would feel surmountable.

Feeling for you, Librarygirl. We've all been there and know how hard it is. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, and remember the good you have done. That doesn't go away, just because you are stuck.

Cindy, I hear you. I stopped juddding a year? 18 months? ago because I couldn't handle another UD/DD failure and then I could not for the life of me jump back on. It took several tries over the year before my enthusiasm for it came back. At this point I'm glad I didn't push harder back then. The right time arrived. And this time it's easier.

I don't know what to say except that I hope you trust that your desire for a slimmer, healthier bod is what matters most. Juddd isn't the key to it all. Your desire is. Juddd is one wonderful vehicle.
Have a little faith in yourself. Maybe you aren't failing. Maybe something in you wants a different path for a bit.
The other thing I'll pitch in is that I don't think there is a wrong choice to make here. If you keep plugging away at this, you'll have good days and bad days and lots of support here. If you try a different woe, you'll have good days and bad days and lots of support here. If you decide to do the first sugar-goat-milk-creme hack (who here would not like to try that after reading about Adi's description??), you'll have good days and bad days and lots of support here.

The great fear is that we'll gain weight if we lose hold of the rope.
I dunno. I lost hold, I gained a bit, I hated myself some days, loved myself other days, moved into slightly different clothes, and came back to this beautiful crowd. All good.

Just my two cents. Lots of love your way, Juddd sister. I'll look forward to supporting you no matter what.

At the risk of you shooting me, I am in that place as well. It's not the same, I know, but at the same time, the MENTAL part completely is. It's just such a game, isn't it? If only we had that magical "light switch" that allows us to be ALL IN so we can get where we want to go again. For me, stress wears on me after awhile and I just get tired of keeping my game on & rebel.

ANYHOO, I know with my history that cutting white stuff out of my diet works immediately at getting rid of my cravings & crappy eating habits. It's a really hard 3-5 days, but then it's fabulous! Perhaps you can try, gf. It's not forever, like you would have thought back in Atkins days. KWIM? You know you have Juddd to come back to, or you could even continue Juddd after a bit when you feel more in control? I don't know. I only know that giving up is NOT the answer. XOXOXO you know I am always here for you. Love you oodles!!!!!!!!!!!

I really truly had to change my way of eating in order to do this effectively. I certainly cut out white flour and sugar, but also for me, lc foods high in fat and protein. When I switched to a plant based diet without a lot of added fat (except for a few nuts and avocado and flax/hemp/chia), I stopped feeling crazy. This is just me--but I struggled in the same way you are. I eat much higher on my DD's (Like 800) and I don't count on my UD's, but since the food is all the same--veggies, some fruit, and my only animal product is some cottage cheese and yogurt--I feel SO much saner and better and the weight is slowly but surely coming off. I loosely JUDDD, because I believe the alternating calories increase my metabolism, but I needed to eat in a different way to stop feeling like a failure.

I really truly had to change my way of eating in order to do this effectively. I certainly cut out white flour and sugar, but also for me, lc foods high in fat and protein. When I switched to a plant based diet without a lot of added fat (except for a few nuts and avocado and flax/hemp/chia), I stopped feeling crazy. This is just me--but I struggled in the same way you are. I eat much higher on my DD's (Like 800) and I don't count on my UD's, but since the food is all the same--veggies, some fruit, and my only animal product is some cottage cheese and yogurt--I feel SO much saner and better and the weight is slowly but surely coming off. I loosely JUDDD, because I believe the alternating calories increase my metabolism, but I needed to eat in a different way to stop feeling like a failure.

I love this board. I so appreciate everyone putting themselves out there & sharing what works for them. It's awesome & so very helpful.

Sweet JB's. I all of your suggestions and responses. There's something vital in every one. I know I've got to do something differently with my choice of foods, because hoping that I can gain some control or discipline over eating any kind of food I want is not working at all. I cannot count calories and then just say, okay I've had 1700 calories and I'm done. I know some people say, "Are you counting?" Yes, I'm counting my calories going through the roof on UDs. I do well on DDs and can easily do 300-500, but UDs just get away from me. Every. Single. Time. Almost. There is no other option for me, except to eat differently. I've already got the IF thing down pat. So it's a deal, Ei, Dawn, and whomever else wants to eat more healthy, with less sugar and processed foods.

__________________

"Never give up on a dream just because of the length of time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway."

Sweet JB's. I all of your suggestions and responses. There's something vital in every one. I know I've got to do something differently with my choice of foods, because hoping that I can gain some control or discipline over eating any kind of food I want is not working at all. I cannot count calories and then just say, okay I've had 1700 calories and I'm done. I know some people say, "Are you counting?" Yes, I'm counting my calories going through the roof on UDs. I do well on DDs and can easily do 300-500, but UDs just get away from me. Every. Single. Time. Almost. There is no other option for me, except to eat differently. I've already got the IF thing down pat. So it's a deal, Ei, Dawn, and whomever else wants to eat more healthy, with less sugar and processed foods.

big hugs to you! Do stay with us because like everyone else I really love reading your posts. You are so honest and insightful and sometimes put feelings into words when I can't and it helps me sort things out, too.

As I was reading your opening post I was wondering what else is going on right now for you. Was yesterday a DD or an UD? If it was an UD did you weigh this morning? Could that be what's disturbing you lots? Maybe you should only weigh after DDs? (Sorry if that info is out there and I don't remember!)

You might be feeling extra down because of not enough sleep together with a darned scale reading.

How do your clothes fit? Do you feel like you might be burning off some fat because of good DDs and it's not showing up on the scale? Could you be retaining fluid for some reason? You know, the juice of one lemon squeezed in about 12 ounces of ice water can act as an excellent diuretic. Are you "regular"? a-hem. sorry if that is too personal? I only ask because I know we can hold a lot (up to 10 pounds of waste, I've heard) in our intestines and getting rid of it makes a big difference in how we feel and also in the scale number.

Are you getting enough sun shine?

Now I'm sounding crazy, huh? But many studies show a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and being overweight. New studies show that supplements are not as good as direct sun or light therapy.

OK, I'm done. I know you are going to hang in there and figure out a bridge to keep you going. You have come so far and done so well! We are here for you!

__________________Yam-Yam

"Weight loss isn't about winning a race; it's about crossing the finish line at your own pace." -Dianna Rodriguiz

Oh Cindy! I'm in with you guys on the avoiding the white stuff. I'm at the end of my 2 week Atkins routine, and I'm not going to restrict myself as strictly going forward, but I definitely want to keep those white foods at a minimum. That always helps me to keep things in control.

I'm just going to throw something out, and you can grab it, or pitch it back.
And I'll be right there with you if you try it, okay?
During my best losing streaks, I rarely ate anything, or much of anything, after dinner. I usually eat dinner anywhere from 6:30 to even 8:00, so that helps having it a little later. But I planned all my calories, left maybe 100 for after dinner, and just considered dinner my last eating of the day.

Now, I've been an evening snacker my whole life. That was probably one of the biggest factors that lead to my weight gain. I love my desserts, but I also love salty or savory snacks like popcorn or crackers. It took some effort to leave that pattern behind, but it did become easier, and after awhile it just became normal and felt right. It just took that commitment to get through the adjustment period. You know, build a new habit as they say.

Since the holidays, I've gotten back into the habit of wanting something after dinner, and I've been thinking I could do better losing-wise if I stopped that again. So I'm going to commit to that, and if you (or anyone) wants to join me, we can start a thread to support each other.

I know it is not the easiest thing to address when you are feeling in a bad mental place, but I was amazed when I first went low-carb at how my mental situation changed. What I had thought for some many years were emotional or mental difficulties, had a lot to do with how the foods I was eating were setting me up to feel.

Of course, there is that vicious cycle to overcome, but if you can get past the readjustment, I do think that going back to low-carb will help you.

Have you thought about doing a meat only, or meat and eggs plan for a short time to jump start you? Or a fat-fast? Those seem like the quickest way to get rid of sugar cravings/stabilize blood sugar/get into ketosis.

And if you could take away any PHYSICAL/diet reasons for feeling discouraged, maybe the other ones would feel surmountable.

I just wanted to give this a thumbs up. I know it's unpleasant to think about giving up the sugar and starchy carbs, but for some of us it's the key to keeping the appetite in check. Which means keeping the rotations in check.

I haven't been doing this plan long enough to know whether there's a substantial difference between the "Sirt gene" effect and ketosis, but I do know that I require a physiological change, not just a mental one. I can't do it purely with willpower or "portion control." I need real appetite suppression. And not eating sugar or too much starch is the key for me on that.

I know that it's not for everyone so I'm not proselytizing. You know yourself. But if it's really a matter of getting those Up Days down in calories, it might be worth a try to make them low carb and high fat for a while, just to break the pattern.

Cindy-I don't post often because I have started over too many times to count I just wanted to figure out what it was that was causing me to have such a hard time and as much as I didn't want this to be the answer I just know I have to avoid the white stuff.
The first time I started JUDDD I came right from lc and kept it that way pretty much until I reached my goal. Then I let loose. And I struggled from then on going back and forth to lchf and JUDDD so I could have treats. My head was spinning. I'm now ready to accept what sugar really does to me. My mind gets foggy and I feel helpless and our of control. Through all this I've gained back 30lbs. The good news is that I figured out a lot of things and I just have to accept it is what it is. I'm leaning towards plant based like Qioz as there's more foods I like than lc and I just feel good.
So count me in for no white stuff.
Sorry this is so long. I know you'll figure it out. I really admire your determination

I didn't sleep well last night, which is probably contributing to some of this, but things just aren't working. It's not JUDDD. It's me. I can't stick to my calories and I'm in a vicious cycle. I lose faith, get discouraged, get back on track, do well for a minute, lose faith, and so on ... terrible sentence structure lol. Taking a break is not going to help, but put me further behind and I'm tired of not getting any lower than this.

I hate doing a set WOE, like LC, because I feel like I can't sustain it, but I guess it might be the only way for me to actually lose. Thinking of going back to it, because I don't have the willpower to eat what I want EOD.

I am having the same feelings and trying to work it out. My boot camp is doing a cleanse--- might do that to kick start and stop eating those damn sweets, since its so strict and then come back to JUDDD.

big hugs to you! Do stay with us because like everyone else I really love reading your posts. You are so honest and insightful and sometimes put feelings into words when I can't and it helps me sort things out, too.

As I was reading your opening post I was wondering what else is going on right now for you. Was yesterday a DD or an UD? If it was an UD did you weigh this morning? Could that be what's disturbing you lots? Maybe you should only weigh after DDs? (Sorry if that info is out there and I don't remember!)

You might be feeling extra down because of not enough sleep together with a darned scale reading.

How do your clothes fit? Do you feel like you might be burning off some fat because of good DDs and it's not showing up on the scale? Could you be retaining fluid for some reason? You know, the juice of one lemon squeezed in about 12 ounces of ice water can act as an excellent diuretic. Are you "regular"? a-hem. sorry if that is too personal? I only ask because I know we can hold a lot (up to 10 pounds of waste, I've heard) in our intestines and getting rid of it makes a big difference in how we feel and also in the scale number.

Are you getting enough sun shine?

Now I'm sounding crazy, huh? But many studies show a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and being overweight. New studies show that supplements are not as good as direct sun or light therapy.

OK, I'm done. I know you are going to hang in there and figure out a bridge to keep you going. You have come so far and done so well! We are here for you!

There are "things" going on, and it does affect me, but mostly I've just realized lately that no matter how happy a spin I put on it, I haven't lost more than a couple of pounds in nearly 6 months despite never quitting JUDDD. I just can't regulate carbs, as much as I don't want to admit it. Sometimes I can, but more often I can't--not enough over a month's time to lose well (or at all). Thanks for your sweet encouraging words.

__________________

"Never give up on a dream just because of the length of time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway."

I'm feeling the same way as the OP. I was doing Juddd and considered it soo easy. "I CAN do this forever." Then life/emotions got in the way, and I just stopped. Since I stopped Juddd like 3 months ago, I have gone back to Intuitive Eating, The Diet Cure, and LC. I did LC for like 8 days, it was great, I lost my tummy bloat, but then had one off day, and that was it. I don't know what I want to do anymore. I'm trying not to care too much about the scale (I've stopped using it, only weigh when at the doctors), I do love my body, but I want to love it MORE, and I want to finally be at my goal weight and just end the madness. I've been working out intensely and running for 3 months, and I love and others are saying they see a difference in my body but I don't really know (I keep comparing myself to my lowest way with Juddd). I did Intuitive Eating for a little while and it felt good, but if I don't concentrate on it heavily every day/every meal, I fall off and forget about it. Then I started LC. Now I'm back to the Diet Cure and just trying to be balanced, mostly LC, with some "good" carbs like steel cut oats, fruit. But Juddd worked so well! I want to do it but never get to it. I used to look forward to my DDs!! But then I started bingeing on my UDs so it became madness. I need to figure something out. But it's rough. Pretty sure it's all in my head.

I feel your pain I guess that's all I can say. Reading through this thread has been really beneficial for me (and I'm sure you as well OP). THanks everyone.

Oh Cindy! I'm in with you guys on the avoiding the white stuff. I'm at the end of my 2 week Atkins routine, and I'm not going to restrict myself as strictly going forward, but I definitely want to keep those white foods at a minimum. That always helps me to keep things in control.

I'm just going to throw something out, and you can grab it, or pitch it back.
And I'll be right there with you if you try it, okay?
During my best losing streaks, I rarely ate anything, or much of anything, after dinner. I usually eat dinner anywhere from 6:30 to even 8:00, so that helps having it a little later. But I planned all my calories, left maybe 100 for after dinner, and just considered dinner my last eating of the day.

Now, I've been an evening snacker my whole life. That was probably one of the biggest factors that lead to my weight gain. I love my desserts, but I also love salty or savory snacks like popcorn or crackers. It took some effort to leave that pattern behind, but it did become easier, and after awhile it just became normal and felt right. It just took that commitment to get through the adjustment period. You know, build a new habit as they say.

Since the holidays, I've gotten back into the habit of wanting something after dinner, and I've been thinking I could do better losing-wise if I stopped that again. So I'm going to commit to that, and if you (or anyone) wants to join me, we can start a thread to support each other.

That's a great idea, Carol. I do like to have a snack after dinner, or dessert and I'm not sure I want to give that up. The truth is, the more rules I inflict on myself, the worse I do. If I could just keep to my calorie count, skip lunch, not eat after dinner, only have 500 calories before dinner, drink more water, ARRRGGGH No offense to you at all LCG, but I know myself and right now it looks like I'm just going to have to cut out the sugar and grains, and hope that LC food puts a damper on my appetite.

__________________

"Never give up on a dream just because of the length of time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway."

Cindy, as I think back to some of your other posts I get the strong feeling that on UDs you really are slamming into a food intolerance or allergy or carb-reaction or protein-reaction or fat-reaction or something that ain't good for your health and is jamming weight loss.

It seems to me right now JUDDD is telling you something is not right - maybe even wrong - and encouraging you to figure it out.

Do you crave specific foods? Because in the mixed up world of metabolism the body frequently craves that which causes the greatest stress. And, of course it may not be as simple as gluten or protein or carbs. I remember Tina (mykidsteacher) stalled because she was allergic to - what was it? - something unexpected like strawberries.

Oh, on the positive side, if you can find and eliminate trigger foods, inflammation goes down fast. When I kissed gluten good bye I did not lose scale weight, but I lost a dress and shoe size.

Oh Cindy! I'm in with you guys on the avoiding the white stuff. I'm at the end of my 2 week Atkins routine, and I'm not going to restrict myself as strictly going forward, but I definitely want to keep those white foods at a minimum. That always helps me to keep things in control.

I'm just going to throw something out, and you can grab it, or pitch it back.
And I'll be right there with you if you try it, okay?
During my best losing streaks, I rarely ate anything, or much of anything, after dinner. I usually eat dinner anywhere from 6:30 to even 8:00, so that helps having it a little later. But I planned all my calories, left maybe 100 for after dinner, and just considered dinner my last eating of the day.

Now, I've been an evening snacker my whole life. That was probably one of the biggest factors that lead to my weight gain. I love my desserts, but I also love salty or savory snacks like popcorn or crackers. It took some effort to leave that pattern behind, but it did become easier, and after awhile it just became normal and felt right. It just took that commitment to get through the adjustment period. You know, build a new habit as they say.

Since the holidays, I've gotten back into the habit of wanting something after dinner, and I've been thinking I could do better losing-wise if I stopped that again. So I'm going to commit to that, and if you (or anyone) wants to join me, we can start a thread to support each other.

Carol, are we twins separated at birth?

My biggest problem over way too many years was staying "on plan" "being good" "sticking to my diet" all day long until the evening. After dinner was my danger zone. The dirty little lie I told myself was "good girl, you've been good all day, you deserve a little treat". Then of course one little treat led to the next and so on and so on....

And sign me up for the No Night Mindless Eating club. Although I do much better than I used to (I bet I could slam between 1000-2000 calories at night no problem back in my hay day!)

And Cindy, all I can say is that its freakin' HARD for some of us, but its possible and its so dang worth it. Only you can create the right way for you. We can read here and get great information and support. But in the long run finding our own way is really the trick of it all. Finding what it is that becomes easier and just feels good.

For me, I have learned so much here and more importantly, I can feel the love and caring for each other, the unconditional support we get if we reach out for it. Kindness and encouragement run rampant here. I like that.

But I can read how "Suze and Carrie" lost weight eating cake and chips EOD but I know for a fact that just doesn't work for me. At least not now. The sugar/white stuff beast has to be tamed and that can take a very long time for some of us, if ever.

I know you can do this and I know you will keep at it until you do! And that's the most important thing. Never give up.

__________________♥♥♥Jan♥♥♥ size 28/size 18/??

“Food is the most intimate thing you can buy…Unlike clothes and shoes that dress the outside, food goes into your body and builds who you become.” – Ani Phyo

"In the beginning, we make our habits. Over time, our habits make us."

Cindy, as I think back to some of your other posts I get the strong feeling that on UDs you really are slamming into a food intolerance or allergy or carb-reaction or protein-reaction or fat-reaction or something that ain't good for your health and is jamming weight loss.

It seems to me right now JUDDD is telling you something is not right - maybe even wrong - and encouraging you to figure it out.

Do you crave specific foods? Because in the mixed up world of metabolism the body frequently craves that which causes the greatest stress. And, of course it may not be as simple as gluten or protein or carbs. I remember Tina (mykidsteacher) stalled because she was allergic to - what was it? - something unexpected like strawberries.

Oh, on the positive side, if you can find and eliminate trigger foods, inflammation goes down fast. When I kissed gluten good bye I did not lose scale weight, but I lost a dress and shoe size.

It's possible I have an allergy of some sort. It's also possible I have a thyroid problem. I crave sweets mostly, and although I don't sit down with a box of donuts, or a whole cake or the like, I end up 500-1000 over my calories most UDs because I have indulged in sweets, or extra carby food.

(Not that you mentioned this, but) I would LOVE to have the problem of not being able to eat enough. It boggles my mind that *that* could ever happen to me! I'll settle for not exceeding my allotted calories though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayLynn

Carol, are we twins separated at birth?

My biggest problem over way too many years was staying "on plan" "being good" "sticking to my diet" all day long until the evening. After dinner was my danger zone. The dirty little lie I told myself was "good girl, you've been good all day, you deserve a little treat". Then of course one little treat led to the next and so on and so on....

And sign me up for the No Night Mindless Eating club. Although I do much better than I used to (I bet I could slam between 1000-2000 calories at night no problem back in my hay day!)

And Cindy, all I can say is that its freakin' HARD for some of us, but its possible and its so dang worth it. Only you can create the right way for you. We can read here and get great information and support. But in the long run finding our own way is really the trick of it all. Finding what it is that becomes easier and just feels good.

For me, I have learned so much here and more importantly, I can feel the love and caring for each other, the unconditional support we get if we reach out for it. Kindness and encouragement run rampant here. I like that.

But I can read how "Suze and Carrie" lost weight eating cake and chips EOD but I know for a fact that just doesn't work for me. At least not now. The sugar/white stuff beast has to be tamed and that can take a very long time for some of us, if ever.

I know you can do this and I know you will keep at it until you do! And that's the most important thing. Never give up.

Yep, that's the truth of it. We do have to find our own way, like it or not.

Also, I was able to eat that junk food and lose at first, and I thought I'd found a gold mine of possibility. Turns out it was Fool's Gold. I can maintain (175-177) lbs eating like that, but I cannot lose anymore. Gotta change things pronto!

__________________

"Never give up on a dream just because of the length of time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway."